Shattered ✓

F I F T Y - O N E

Alexa

For the first time in forever, something normal happened.

And it was weird.

Andrew and I were walking home from Jackson's, both still unsettled from how that conversation had gone. I kept replaying Jackson's expression in my head—how tense he was, how exhausted he looked, how he wouldn't let us in the house.

Something wasn't right.

But before I could voice it again, Andrew's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket, and his eyebrows shot up.

"What?" I asked, glancing over.

His lips twitched, like he was fighting a smile. "It's Kelsey."

I blinked. "Who?"

He shot me an annoyed look. "Kelsey Rodriguez. From English? She sits two rows behind us?"

I wracked my brain before vaguely remembering a girl with long, dark hair and braces. "Oh. What does she want?"

Andrew hesitated, staring at his phone for a second before finally saying, "She asked if I wanna go to the movies this weekend."

I nearly tripped over my own feet. "Wait. Like... a date?"

Andrew shrugged, but the smirk he was trying to hide gave him away. "I mean... probably?"

I stopped walking. "And you're just now mentioning that you've been talking to this girl?"

Andrew rolled his eyes. "It's not that deep, Lexi."

"Oh, it is that deep," I argued, grabbing his arm before he could keep walking. "You getting a date? That's groundbreaking."

He sighed. "It's one date."

I grinned. "Still. Who knew you had game?"

He groaned. "I regret telling you already."

I laughed, but something about this moment felt... good. Almost normal.

And I realized I missed this.

I missed teasing Andrew. I missed talking about stupid things like school and dates instead of hospitals and police stations.

Maybe things weren't okay yet. Maybe we were still barely holding everything together.

But for the first time in a long time, something felt light.

And I wasn't about to ruin it.

"So," I said, nudging him as we started walking again. "What are you gonna wear?"

Andrew groaned again, but I caught the way his face turned a little red.

Maybe, just maybe, things weren't completely shattered after all.

***

The second we stepped through the front door, I said it.

"So, Andrew has a date."

Andrew whipped his head toward me, eyes wide with betrayal. "Are you serious?"

I grinned. "What? It's big news."

The reaction was instant.

Cameron, who had been sitting at the kitchen counter flipping through the mail, froze. Zach, who was pouring himself a glass of water, turned so fast he nearly knocked the glass over. Justin and Jason, who were sprawled on the couch, sat up so fast it was like I had just declared war.

The air in the room shifted.

Zach slowly set his water down. "A date?"

Cameron narrowed his eyes. "With who?"

Andrew groaned loudly, dragging his hands down his face. "Are you guys serious right now?"

Justin leaned forward, grinning. "Oh, we are very serious."

Jason smirked. "Deeply serious."

Andrew turned to me, utterly betrayed. "You suck."

I shrugged. "I thought they should know."

Cameron folded his arms, expression deadly serious. "Who is she?"

Andrew let out a long, suffering sigh. "Her name is Kelsey. She's in our grade. She's nice."

Zach narrowed his eyes. "And she's not—"

"Crazy?" Andrew cut in. "No, she's not crazy."

Cameron wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

Andrew groaned. "She's normal."

Justin and Jason exchanged a glance before Jason smirked. "I mean, I'm sure Alexa thought Benny was normal."

My face flushed at that comparison.

Andrew's expression hardened. "That's not fair."

Zach exhaled. "I'm just saying—we don't know this girl, Andrew."

"And you're not gonna go on a date with her," Andrew snapped. "I am."

The tension in the air was thick.

Cameron finally sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look. We just... want to make sure she's not using you."

Andrew's jaw clenched. "For what? I'm broke."

Justin snickered. "Maybe she's into charity work."

Andrew flipped him off. "I hate all of you."

Jason grinned. "Oh, we know."

Cameron finally gave in, holding up his hands. "Fine. We'll back off."

Zach sighed. "For now."

Andrew glared at all of them before turning to me. "This is your fault."

I just smiled. "You're welcome."

Despite everything, despite how messed up everything still was, I couldn't help but feel lighter.

For the first time in a long time, things weren't just about survival.

And maybe—just maybe—things were starting to feel normal again.

***

Even after the teasing, the tension in the house had lifted. It wasn't perfect—not even close—but it was something.

Andrew was still grumbling under his breath, glaring at me every few seconds as he scrolled through his phone. Justin and Jason were still whispering like they were conspiring against him. Zach and Cameron had backed off slightly, but I could tell they were still skeptical.

It felt weirdly normal.

Like how things used to be.

I grabbed a soda from the fridge and hopped onto the counter, watching as Andrew finally broke and texted Kelsey back. He was probably assuring her that his entire family wasn't insane.

Cameron leaned against the counter next to me. "You really had to do that the second you guys walked in?" He laughs.

I grinned. "Of course. What kind of sister would I be if I didn't?"

Zach shook his head as he sipped his water. "You're a menace."

"I try."

Andrew let out an exasperated sigh and shoved his phone back into his pocket. "You all suck."

"Maybe," Jason said, smirking.

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I hate you guys."

Cameron gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "You'll live."

Andrew scowled, but there was a tiny smile pulling at the corner of his lips.

I sipped my soda, feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

For the first time in a long time, it felt like us again.

Even if everything surrounding us was falling apart, at least Andrew and I still had our brothers.